. LATEST NEWS OF THE TRAFFIC ACT.
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In an interview given last Thursday to members of the motoring Press• and certain other interested persons, Mr. Herbert Morrison gave more definite details regarding the operation of the Road Traffic Act.
With regard to Part IV (regulation of public-service vehicles) and Part V (running of such vehicles by local authorities), these will be divided into three stages, the first tage commencing December 1st, 1930, the main 'object to be achieved being the appointment of the traffic commissioners and getting• them into action, and such provisions of the Act will be brought into operation as to' allow the following actions to be taken :—Constitution of traffic areas ; formal appointment of commissioners, certifying officers, examiners and other staff ; the making of the necessary orders, regulations, etc., and the prescription of fees.
The second stage commences on January 1st, 1931. Daring this time the commissioners should receive applications' for licences, consents, etc., so that they can consider them and reach decisions. Thus, at the end of the stage there can be a complete changeover on a specified date (provisionally fixed for April 1st), for this system is a new one under which the 12 traffic commissioners will replaca1,300 local licensing authori c20 ties. The provisions to be brought into operation will allow the traffic commissioners to consider applications and objections and to issue and back licences of all descriptions, allow certifying officers to issue certificates of fitness and suspend public-service-vehicle licences, allow the Minister to approve type vehicles, allow the hearing and determination of appeals, and enable local authorities to make application, under Part V, for extensions of their services.
During these stages the existing authorities will continue to deal with applications for licences, as at present Section 17 of the Act, dealing with the number of persons on vehicles and trailers, comes into operation on January 1st. Section 19, concerning the maximum number of hours of employment by drivers, is deferred until February 1st. Old driving licences issued up to November 29th will be valid until their normal dates of expiry, except where the persons are under the driving age. Part III, the section of the law relating to highways, will be brought into force on January 1st.
The Ministry is ready to make grants to the police for the provision of approximately 1,000 motor vehicles, of which One-third will be cars and the rest motor
cycles. It is thought that PO extra police will be required.